What if your "side hustle survival skills" were actually the exact training you needed to crush it in UGC?

Host Nate Flake sits down with Alex Gettlin, a standup comedian and podcaster who went from touring comedy clubs and hustling through DoorDash shifts to building a thriving UGC business.

Alex didn't come from the typical nine-to-five burnout story. He came from a world where every gig was uncertain, every paycheck was inconsistent, and learning to perform under pressure was just part of the deal. That background turned out to be his secret weapon.

Chapters:
04:45 – Losing Everything Overnight to COVID
07:10 – The Podcast That Changed Everything
09:30 – Discovering UGC Was a Real Business
11:55 – Why Most Creators Quit Too Early
14:10 – Spending Money to Make Money
16:25 – The Power of Creator Meetups
19:05 – Trading Free UGC for Real Opportunities
21:40 – Why Talking Head Videos Win
24:55 – When UGC Goes Wrong Fast
29:10 – Turning Small Gigs Into Big Retainers
34:20 – Comedy Skills as a UGC Superpower
41:15 – How Consistency Creates Long-Term Income
If you've ever felt stuck in the "feast or famine" cycle, or you'r

If you've ever felt stuck in the "feast or famine" cycle, or you're wondering how to turn your creative skills into steady income without losing your authenticity, Nate and Alex break it all down.

Alex shares how he built his first portfolio, why he treats every client like a long-term relationship, and the mindset shifts that helped him go from $100 gigs to retainer deals that actually pay the bills.

Plus, he gets real about the importance of community, why over-delivering early creates momentum, and how thinking like an entertainer (not just a creator) can set you apart.

By the end, you'll understand why your first gig matters way more than the paycheck, how to find opportunities hiding in plain sight, and what it actually takes to build a UGC business that works for you, not the other way around.

Press play and learn how Alex landed his first podcast deal, turning a $100 Ball Buddy ad into a major retainer, and why he tells his students there's no "one right way" to do this.

Alex's Atlanta Studio: https://www.skewedorbitstudios.com/

Alex's podcast Highly Unlikely: https://open.spotify.com/show/2iMdab3eZjUQNV2zyIPZe0?si=rjNW8iX8RT2jrFegBrtAQQ

Alex's Portfolio: http://www.alexgettlin.com/

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Catch Nate on Youtube

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/

What if the skills you already have are exactly what you need to build a UGC business, you just haven't connected the dots yet?

Host Nate Flake sits down with Olivia Castriota to break down how she went from being new to UGC to consistently making $20,000 a month by leveraging skills she already had.

She didn't start as a UGC creator. She was a musician writing songs for TV shows, stuck in an industry where getting paid took eight months or longer.

When she saw a TikTok about UGC, she realized her years of making music videos had already taught her everything she needed: how to be comfortable on camera, understand lighting, and tell a story visually.

Within two weeks, she bought a course, set up her Fiverr gigs, and started landing clients at $20 a video.

Chapters:
00:04:45 - The Fiverr Switch That Skyrocketed Orders
00:05:32 - 100 Reviews in 2 Months
00:06:00 - The $20 to $125 Rate Jump Panic
00:06:31 - Ad Fees Changed Everything
00:09:19 - The “Pitch 10 Brands” Myth Gets Called Out
00:15:34 - Fiverr’s Biggest Problem: Zero Search, Too Much Chaos
00:18:18 - Scam Reality Check and Why New Sellers Get Targeted
00:24:38 - Camera Confidence
00:34:05 - Why X Became Her Best Lead Source
00:42:19 - Worst Gig vs Best Gig

She doesn't sugarcoat it. She talks about doing a hundred videos in two months to build reviews, raising her rates even when it felt terrifying, and why your first three months are basically paid training.

Olivia shares the production secrets most creators never think about like how matching your clothing to both the product and your skin tone can make or break a video, or why breaking a script into single-line takes with action beats makes everything easier.

Press play and learn how tiny shifts that separate okay content from work that brands want to pay for again and again.

Course she took (Use code OLIVIA for $100 off): https://freelancebigsis.com/ugcfiverracademy-1220?am_id=olivia2330

Olivia's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5VdTraeHBTaJhW9OZPnrPm?si=yXo-BLoORYCqP5snb-qOxg

Olivia's portfolio: https://oliviacastriota.my.canva.site/

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Catch Nate on Youtube

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/

Ever wonder if your whole family could actually make money creating content together or if that's just internet hype?

Nate sits down with Jen Cochnauer. She started UGC in July. She'd never even heard the term before. Five months later, she's pulling in $2-4k extra each month while working full-time in corporate healthcare and she's doing it with her husband and four kids, including triplets.

You'll hear how she navigated Fiverr gigs, convinced her skeptical husband, got her kids comfortable on camera, and started landing inbound work from brands who can't resist the triplet factor.

Chapters:
04:02 - Family to a Fiverr
06:01 - Ditching the Teleprompter
08:30 - Landing the First Family Job with the Triplets
11:18 - Raising Rates
19:30 - How X Replies Turn Into Email Inbounds
20:50 - Working Full-Time While UGC Explodes
22:00 - When to Pause Outreach and Start Saying No
31:03 - The VA Problem: Follow-Ups Are Where Money Gets Lost
33:30 - The Dream Gig vs The Nightmare Client
41:30 - The 2026 UGC Family Expansion Plan

Jen's approach is refreshingly honest, she prints scripts, overshoots B-roll, and still struggles with follow-up. She's figuring it out in real time, just like you.

If you've ever hesitated to involve your partner or kids in UGC because it feels complicated, this episode breaks down the practicalities: how much to pay your kids, how to price family work, and why raw footage jobs beat full edits when you're juggling a day job.

You'll also get the uncomfortable truth about pricing, if brands aren't pushing back on your rates, you're leaving money on the table.

Jen's story proves you don't need to be a content pro or quit your job to make this work. You just need to start, lean into what makes your family unique, and charge what you're actually worth.

Press play and learn exactly how to turn family time into paid work without sacrificing your sanity.

Connect with guest: https://www.instagram.com/houseofjenugc/

Download FREE GUIDE: 10 Steps to Becoming a UGC Creator from Scratch

Join UGC Creator Connect — March 14, Park City UT → https://ugccreatorconnectevent.com

MORE FROM NATE FLAKE

Nate’s UGC Fiverr Pro Course + Community — use code PODCAST for 15% off: . https://stan.store/nateflakeugc/p/master-ugc-on-fiverr

Connect with Nate
Instagram: @nateflakecreates
YouTube: UGC 101 Podcast

Contact / Collabs
For guest pitches, partnerships, or sponsorship inquiries.
https://ugcbynate.com/